A New Life
by Kagome92111
Summary: Kagome is hated by everyone at her school, and just to make matters worse, her father is abusive. What happens when her worst enemy and former best friend, Inuyasha, finds out? InuKag SanMir. R&R Please!
1. The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

**Note:**** If you like this story, check out Kagome1514's fanfic, "Tasukete"!**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 1 - The First Day of the Rest of Your Life**

**Kagome shut off her alarm clock and groaned as she pulled herself out of bed. She stood in front of her mirror, broken because of a previous "accident", and took in her complexion. Her right cheek was slightly red and a light purple bruise was forming under her left eye.**

**'I'll have to make sure to cover that up really good.'**

**Looking down, she frowned at the fairly obvious cuts and bruises covering her arms and legs, and grimaced as her eyes traveled down to the deep gash on her right leg.**

**'Boy, can Dad use a knife..,' she thought grimly.**

**Pulling on a pair of loose sweatpants, a white t-shirt, and an ugly sweatshirt, Kagome put on her glasses and tip-toed downstairs. Once she reached the bottom however, she realized what she had forgotten and walked back up.**

**Kagome grabbed her compact and stood in front of her mirror, applying large amounts of cover-up to her bruised face until you could no longer tell what had been there only a minute ago. Placing her compact into her bookbag, Kagome sighed heavily as she looked at herself in the mirror.**

**'I wasn't always like this. I used to be happy, and had friends... that is, until Mom died.' Kagome smiled a rare smile never seen by the public as she thought of her mom's smiling face. It quickly turned into a frown as her thoughts wandered to her mom's death.**

**Her mother was on her way home from work one day and decided to take a taxi. What she hadn't known at the time, was that the driver had had a few beers that night. Kagome's father was stressed out beyond belief after the accident, and decided to take his anger and frustration out on her. Sometimes he did it just for the heck of it, something to pass the time, usually when he was drunk.**

**Kagome picked up her stack of books and headed downstairs. She peaked her head around the railing of the staircase as her eyes searched around the first floor of the house for any sign of her father. He was probably still mad at her for coming home late yesterday. She fast walked to the door, seeing that he was no where in sight and quickly reached out for the doorknob.**

**Her heart was pounding in her chest out of fear that he might see her. She slowly opened it and cringed as it squeaked loudly. She squeezed herself through the tiny gap she had opened and quickly shut it. She ran down the front steps to her house and kept running until she was a block away. She stopped and caught her breath before straightening herself and beginning the walk to school.**

**'The first day of senior year... I can't wait...'**


	2. Inuyasha and Kikyo

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 2 - Inuyasha and Kikyo**

**Kagome hugged her books to her chest as she walked through the hallway on her way to first period. She sighed as Inuyasha and his girlfriend, Kikyo, came flirting out of the door on her right and began walking next to her. Kikyo immediately made a disgusted face when she saw Kagome and leaned up to whisper something in Inuyasha's ear. They both snickered as Kagome rolled her eyes and kept walking.**

**"Hey wench! Think fast!"**

**Kagome felt something hit the back of her head hard, and fell down, dropping her books everywhere. She gasped in pain as her knee slammed into the hard ground with incredible force, right where her largest, most painful bruise was located. Her eyes slowly began to water as she embarrasingly picked up her books, stacking them in a neat pile in front of her.**

**'No, I will not cry. I won't give Inuyasha and Kikyo the satisfaction of making me cry.'**

**Inuyasha laughed at her as he kneeled down to pick up his football. Kagome looked up and glared at him, and could have sworn she saw a hint of concern flash across his eyes when he noticed her eyes were moist.**

**'No way, he doesn't care about me. He and Kikyo pick on me the most out of everyone in the school. Why would he care? Besides, he already has Kikyo... Wait, where did that come from? It's not like I'm jealous or anything! Why am I thinking these things!'**

**Kagome was blushing the whole time she was thinking and Inuyasha was staring at her awkwardly. Who wouldn't? She just went from serious, to near-tears, to angry, and then to embarrassed.**

**Kagome finally got all her books nice and stacked up in front of her and was about to get up to go to class, when Kikyo kicked over all her books again and pretended to apologize.**

**"Oh, clutzy me! How could I be so careless? Terribly sorry!" she exclaimed before smirking and walking away, Inuyasha wrapping his arms around her shoulders as they walked.**

**Kagome groaned in frustration as she began collecting her things again, hopelessly wishing the whole year wouldn't be like that.**


	3. Diary

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 3 - Diary**

**Kagome sat in her seat during the last class of the day, history, quickly jotting down notes. It was the third week of the school year and Inuyasha, Kikyo, and the rest of the school weren't going easy on her. She had been the center of about fifteen school pranks up until now. Inuyasha and Kikyo sat behind her and she could hear them whispering incoherent things to each other, but just rolled her eyes and kept working.**

**Her history teacher, Mr. Myouga, was half asleep as he lazily went on talking to the class about the American Revolution, so she decided to write in her diary. She reached down and discreetly pulled out a fluffy blue book from her bookbag reading "My Diary" on the front, with a pink ribbon attached to the spine and an expensive purple pen tied to the end of it. Her mother had given it to her on her 7th birthday and she cherished it with all her heart. It was practically the only nice thing she owned. After making sure that no one was watching, she unlocked it and began writing.**

_**Dear Diary,**_

_**It's the third week of school now, and I still hate it. Inuyasha, the jerk, I mean jock, won't leave me alone. sigh Sometimes I wonder if things would be different between me and him if he knew what actually went on at home... but there's no way I'm telling him. I mean, that's why I don't have any friends, isn't it? They'd find out my secret and Daddy will get mad. Well, also because I'm a geek... but I wouldn't be if I didn't have to cover up all my- well I can't say here in case anyone ever found you... Dad got drunk again last night. It was pretty bad... I didn't even want to go to school today, but it was either that or stay home with Dad. The latter didn't seem too appealing after yesterday. I almost couldn't cover them up all the way this time, I hope no one can tell. Well, gotta go. Mr. Myouga might see me writing, or worse... Inuyasha and his :cough:cough: girlfriend, Kikyo.**_

_**Kagome**_

**She closed her diary and gently placed it back into her bookbag. The teacher still had his back to her as she thought of what to do next. She sighed as she took out a sheet of paper and began drawing. She was smiling slightly as she pictured her mom's smiling face in her head as best as she could while she drew. She looked down at her drawing with satisfaction, before neatly folding it in half and tucking it into her diary. She realized the bell would ring any second and began hastily throwing all her things into her bag.**

**All the students ran out of the room as fast as they could when the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Kagome was in a rush to get home, for she knew what her father would do if she was late, and didn't even realize when her diary slid out of her bag as she burst through the school doors, determined not to be late again.**

**"Hey look, Kikyo. I think that's the geek's. She was writing in that today." Inuyasha pointed out when he saw it lying on the floor. He reached down to pick it up, but stopped when Kikyo shouted, "Ewww! That's gross! Don't touch it, Inuyasha!" He slowly pulled his hand back and continued walking with Kikyo, but not before saying, "Right. I forgot."**

**Inuyasha quickly led Kikyo by the hand to the end of the hall, but stopped and told her he had forgotten something in the classroom, before pecking her on the cheek good-bye and rushing back. He retraced his steps and found Kagome's diary on the floor. He looked at it curiously, before hastily tucking it into his jacket and heading out to his car.**


	4. Suspicions

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 4 - Suspicions**

**Inuyasha got into his red convertable and pulled off his football jacket, carefully taking out Kagome's diary. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and laid back in his white leather seat, holding it with both hands. He gently caressed its fluffy blue cover, wondering where the heck **_**Kagome**_** got something so nice. He hesitatingly reached out a hand for the lock and was about to pry it open, when a large group of his "fangirls" came rushing out to his car.**

**"Oh my god! It's Inuyasha!"**

**"Ahhhhh! He's so hot!"**

**"Look at his long, shiny hair!"**

**"He is so mine!"**

**"Let me at him!"**

**"Get away from him, he's mine!"**

**Inuyasha's eyes widened as he hastily tossed the diary into the passenger's seat and shoved his key's into the car, starting it up.**

**'I guess being popular isn't always a good thing...!'**

**He sped away, looking back to see the girls still chasing him down the street with hundreds of cars honking at them from behind. They didn't seem to mind the commotion they were causing, and even started knocking over innocent pedestrians just to get to Inuyasha.**

**He cursed as he hit a red light and was forced to stop, sweat beading down his forehead. His heart started hammering in his chest as the hysteric girls began closing in. He tapped impatiently on the steering wheel as he looked back in shock at the group of girls practically leaping over cars and trucks and declaring their love for him as they went along on their rampage. Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief when he saw about ten police officers grabbing the out-of-control girls and arresting them.**

**Inuyasha pulled into his assigned parking spot at his apartment building and turned off his car, grabbing his bag and Kagome's diary on his way out. He stared down at the diary, thinking of all the possible things that could be in it, as he opened the door and stepped inside. His apartment was a two bedroom, one bath, with nice furnishings, thanks to his rich parents. He mostly used the second bedroom for storage, but also used it as a guest room once in awhile.**

**He stepped into his bedroom and turned on the lights, before tossing his bag into the corner and flopping down on his bed anxiously. He held Kagome's diary up to the light to see that it was pretty old, but kept in perfect condition nonetheless. He sat up and began prying the lock open. After a few unsuccessful tries, he grabbed a bobby pin and succeeded in opening it. Turning to the first page, Inuyasha almost gasped as he saw how long ago the first entry was.**

_**deer diary,**_

_**i just terned 7 today and mommy got me this kool new diary! daddy got me a my little ponys colering book and a box of crayons two color it with. i'm so happy: )**_

_**by Kagome**_

_**Dear Diary,**_

_**Its the second week of third grade. I learned how to write in cursive. I made a new best friend too. His name is Inooyasha and he's really funny and nice and smart. I think we will be best friends forever! We even got these cool best friend charms. Mine is a necklace and his is a bracelet. I don't think he likes to wear his though because it's "girly" but he always has it with him in his pocket or something. Well I'm gonna go. Inooyasha wants me to play soccer with him now.**_

_**- Kagome**_

**Inuyasha smiled as he read the last two entries and laughed to himself when he saw how Kagome spelled his name back then. He was still smiling as he reached over and opened one of his bedroom drawers, pulling out a silver bracelet with half of a heart on it reading "Best", only revealing half of the real message. He placed it on the diary page in thought, trying to remember what happened to the two of them. He didn't have to think long; however, as he skipped a bunch of pages to read an entry from just a few years earlier.**

_**Dear Diary,**_

_**It's about mid-semester of 9th grade, and I can't take it anymore! Mom just died yesterday in a car accident! I just want the earth to open up and swallow me. No, I don't even deserve such a quick and painless death. It's all my fault she died, even Dad thinks so. He sure expresses it a lot... But anyways, I was really sick yesterday, so Mom wanted to stay home with me even though I said it was okay. Because of that, she had to take the night shift and accidentally got a taxi with a drunk driver and got in a car accident. It really is all my fault! And just to make matters worse, Inuyasha totally ditched me today. Now that he's in high school, he thinks he's too cool to hang out with me and even has a girlfriend, Kikyo. He acts like he hates me now and doesn't even care when kids beat me up. Everyone seems to be doing a lot of that to me lately...**_

_**Kagome**_

**Inuyasha frowned as he read the last part. He turned the diary over, placing it onto his bed with the pages still open so he wouldn't lose his spot. He needed to think.**

**'Well, at least now I know why we aren't friends anymore... I mean, how could I totally ditch her like that? Especially right when her mom dies and she needs me the most! I'm such a moron. But, what did she mean by, "He sure expresses it a lot"? And what about, "Everyone seems to be doing a lot of that lately"? She talks so vaguely, I need to read more.'**

**Inuyasha sat up for a couple more hours reading the rest of Kagome's diary. There were some nice ones about funny things they did when they were little, some boring ones about any random thing, but most of them were of all the bad things he did to her and all the times she had gotten beaten up and there was no one there for her. He also learned that her father got drunk a lot and did something pretty bad each time, but what he did, she never said specifically. As he read on for the rest of the night, all he got in return was more and more unanswered questions.**


	5. Breaking Up

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 5 - Breaking Up**

**Kagome panted as she held desperately onto the doorframe of her house. She had run the whole way, determined to make it home on time. She looked up, expecting to see her father, and closed the door softly behind her. She stepped into her house and slipped off her shoes, before treading softly up the stairs to her room.**

**'I wonder where Daddy is... He's always home when I get back, just waiting to yell at me for whatever possible reason. Well, I'm not complaining. He's probably still mad at me for being late yesterday. If I get one more bruise, I'll need all the cover-up in the world to conceal it.'**

**Kagome sat down on her old, worn out bed and pulled her bookbag up onto it. She began to rummage through it and panicked when she didn't find her diary anywhere in it. She desperately dumped out all its contents onto the floor and got down on her hands and knees, frantically tossing everything over her shoulder, still not finding it. She noticed her heart was beating with the speed of a cheetah and placed her hand on her chest, trying to calm it. The only words that ran through her mind at the moment were, 'Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.'**

**She stood up, looking down at the huge mess she had created and sunk to the floor, leaning her back against the side of her bed. She unconsciously clutched a handful of carpet into each hand as her whole body began to shake involuntarily.**

**'Where is it? Did I drop it somewhere? On the way home or at school? Did anyone find it? Should I go back? No, Daddy might come home while I'm gone and get mad...'**

**Kagome slowly stood up, pulling herself together. Her mind registered the fact that someone must've found it and was most likely reading it right now. She closed her eyes and tried to recall ever writing down anything that would give her father away. No, she always kept that subject vague and never actually mentioned her father **_**hitting**_** her.**

**'I need to get it back. Momma gave it to me. It means the most to me out of everything in the world. Maybe the person who found it will give it back, and maybe they didn't even read it!' She smiled as she thought this. 'No, there aren't that many decent people at Shikon High School. They most definitely read it. They probably won't even give it back. Everyone hates me and picks on me... Oh my god! What if Inuyasha or Kikyo found it! I am so dead...'**

**Feeling depressed, Kagome opened up her notebook and sulkily began working on her French homework. She decided that all she could do is hope that the person returns it tomorrow and be glad she didn't give much away in it.**

**Inuyasha pulled his red convertable up into the school parking lot and stepped out, not forgetting to lock it and set the alarm on before heading off to class. He saw Kikyo and her group of followers, AKA - her fanclub, chatting in the halls and began to walk towards them. He stopped when he saw Kagome walk by them and began walking towards her instead, intent on giving her back her diary and claiming he had no interest in reading a piece of trash like it.**

**"Hey wait up-" Inuyasha began to say, but stopped when he saw one of Kikyo's followers, Soten, stick her leg out and trip Kagome, causing her to fall over and get her books and clothes covered in dirt and mud. Normally he would have been the one doing that or would have laughed at her, but for some reason watching this poor girl, who was once his best friend, get hurt just made his blood boil.**

**Kagome groaned as she fixed her glasses and began to pick up her books. She started to get up off the muddy ground, when another one of Kikyo's followers, Yura, kicked her hard in the back, introducing her face to the ground once more.**

**'This never gets old to them, does it?' she thought, her face pressed down on the floor.**

**There was laughter all around her as she got up off the ground and began wiping the dirt off her shirt nonchalantly. It happened all the time, so why get mad? She was about to walk away when she heard Kikyo's voice calling her.**

**"Hey, loser! Come here!" Kagome ignored her and kept walking down the hallway, sighing as she heard Kikyo's footsteps behind her. She slowly turned around to face her and was only half surprised when Kikyo's hand came in contact with her face... hard. She winced in pain as her still-healing bruise stung her even more from the slap. "Next time listen when I'm talking to you, geek!"**

**"Right, I'll do that," Kagome replied emotionlessly, before turning around again and making her way back towards her first period class.**

**Inuyasha stood from the sidelines, watching the spectacle with wide eyes. This happened all the time and most of the time he was involved, but apparantly after recalling their childhood the previous night, now it just seemed so... so... wrong. He straightened himself and slowly walked over to Kikyo, placing his hand on her shoulder.**

**"Hey, what do you think you're do- Oh, Inuyasha!" Kikyo squealed as she leaned up and kissed him full on the lips, him not even bothering to return it. "What's the matter sweetie?"**

**"Cut the crap, Kikyo. We need to talk," he replied firmly.**

**"What about?" she asked sweetly as she began to trace invisible designs on his muscle shirt.**

**"Kikyo, I'm sick and tired of this. It seems you only wanted me so you could be more popular, you never loved me. I'm tired of you taking advantage of me, and I'm tired of you and your...," he gestured to the group of about ten girls behind her, "flunkies hurting other people. It's sickening. We're over, Kikyo." With that said, he turned around and began to walk down the same hall Kagome had just went through. Unfortunately for him, Kikyo ran after him and began tugging on his arm trying to get him to change his mind.**

**"It's that loser, isn't it? That Dagome girl. You're starting to like her, aren't you? That's why you're dumping me, isn't it? You're only breaking up with me because we beat some sense into that geek, aren't you?"**

**"First of all, her name is Kagome. Second, no I am not starting to like her. And third, I already told you why I don't want to see you anymore. You've been hurting other people and I can't take it anymore. I was an idiot to go out with you in the first place. Good-bye."**

**"Wait, Inuyasha!"**

**"GOOD-BYE!"**

**Kikyo glared daggers at his back. Yeah, she could easily get another boyfriend, but the thought that someone dumped **_**her**_** got her angry. 'I'll get revenge on you, Kagome.' As that last thought pierced her mind, she turned around and huddled her group together.**


	6. Revenge

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 6 - Revenge**

**"Hey, wait up!" Inuyasha shouted to Kagome. He wasn't sure whether to call her Kagome or any of his usual insults, such as geek, loser, wench, nerd, idiot, maybe a few cuss words here and there...**

**"I'm not in the mood," Kagome replied softly.**

**"Jeeze wench, I was just gonna-"**

**"Inuyasha, can't you just leave me alone? Isn't getting shoved into the mud twice good enough for you? Or did you not get a good enough laugh out of that?"**

**"Fine whatever, just get this out of my sight," he said as he decided on tossing her diary to her instead of throwing it on the floor. He barely refrained from smiling when he saw her face light up as she caught it. Her smile was beautiful. She needed to smile more. She was always so happy when they were little, but now she almost never smiled.**

**"Oh my god... th-thank you. Wait, d-did you read it?" she asked as her face took on a worried, almost panicked look.**

**"Tch, don't worry, why would I want to read a piece of trash like that anyway," he stated more than asked. 'What is she hiding?' He lazily raised his hand into the air, palm facing her, before turning and walking into their first period class, calculus.**

**'I'll take that as a good-bye.' "Thank you," she whispered quietly before following him inside.**

**"Now class, your homework is to do page 158, numbers 1 through 25. Now get out of my class." Mr. Totosai told them before shooing them out of his classroom at the end of the period.**

**Kagome clutched her books to her chest and began walking to her second period class, gym. Her throat was starting to bother her, so she stopped at a water fountain to get a drink. Leaning down, she parted her lips only slightly and began sipping some water, when she was shoved roughly from behind. Her whole face was dripping wet, including her books.**

**"Loser!" she heard someone shout as she wiped off her face with the back of her hand. She looked up to see Kagura, one of Kikyo's followers, snickering as she walked away.**

**"Shoot," she muttered as she noticed her books turning brown and soggy. She went into the bathroom in the girl's locker room and started drying them off with paper towels, when Soten walked out of one of the stalls.**

**'God! They're everywhere!'**

**She crinkled up her nose in disgust when she saw Kagome. Kagome just ignored her and threw away the paper towels, before quickly turning around to leave. She gasped in pain as Soten slammed her into the bathroom wall, before laughing at her and walking out, adding in, "Know your place, freak."**

**'Owwww... my shoulder... Why there! Why in the one spot Dad managed to hit with the knife yesterday!' Kagome pulled up her sleeve, inspecting the deep cut on her arm which was now turning purple.**

**"Oh my god! Are you okay? How did that happen?" Kagome snapped her head up to see a girl from quite a few of her classes looking at her with a worried expression. She immediately pulled her sleeve down as fast as she could.**

**"I'm f-fine. It was an accident, that's all."**

**"Are you sure? Kagome... that's your name, right?" Kagome nodded.**

**"Yeah... Sango, one of the new students, if I'm not mistaken?" 'Shoot! What am I doing! I'm not supposed to have friends! Especially one's that already have clues to what Daddy does!'**

**"Yeah, so we better head off t- MIROKU! Stop peeking in the girls' locker rooms!" Kagome looked towards the entrance to see the retreating back of a guy with short black hair, black pants, and a blue shirt. "Try to stay away from that guy, he's the ringleader of perverts." Sango blushed as she said this.**

**'She must like him... Wait, what am I doing! I have to get out of here!' "Well, we better get to gym! Bye!" She waved quickly before taking off to the changing rooms to get in her gym clothes. 'That was close... I can't be taking risks like that, like having friends.'**

**Sango stood in the doorway watching her as she ran off. 'Strange girl...'**

**Mrs. Kaede, the gym teacher, looked on in awe as Kagome gracefully walked back and forth on the balance beam, on her hands. She wore a pair of baggy gray sweatpants to cover up her legs, claiming she was cold. Kagome was usually really bad in P.E., but gymnastics was one thing she admitted she was good at.**

**Inuyasha stood leaning against the wall watching her with his arms crossed, pretending not to care, though his mind spoke differently. 'Man, she's good. But then again, she always was good at gymnastics when we were little.'**

**Sango and Miroku sat down next to the beam, watching her enviously. 'Jeeze, that girl's good at everything. She's got A's in all the classes I've got with her and she's even a master in gym. A lot of kids hate her for it though... I feel bad for her.' Sango thought as she watched Kagome. All that was going through Miroku's mind though was, 'God, I love gym! All the girls are forced to wear tight shorts!'**

**Kikyo and her followers all glared at Kagome as they watched her. Kikyo turned to look at Kanna and they both nodded before taking off towards Kagome. Inuyasha eyed them suspiciously. 'What are they up to?'**

**Kagome looked around, still upside down, and frowned at all the glares and looks that clearly said "show off" she was receiving. Blood started to rush to her head and she was about to step down when she heard people running towards her.**

**"Tag! You're it!" Kikyo shouted really loudly before shoving Kanna roughly into the beam, knocking it over.**

**It seemed to go in slow motion for Inuyasha as Kagome's delicate fingers slipped off the beam and she flew into the air. The last thing she saw before everything went black was her own arms reaching desperately out for the beam and a panicky Inuyasha running towards her.**


	7. I Fell Down the Stairs

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 7 - I Fell Down the Stairs**

**"Kagome, wake up!"**

**"Is she okay?"**

**"Will she be all right?"**

**Kagome quickly opened her eyes, hearing voices all around her, but immediately shut them against the blinding light. She moaned as she pulled herself up to a sitting position and clutched her head in pain. She slowly opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the light and looked around the room. Based on her surroundings, she could tell that she was in the nurse's office. Sango and Miroku each sat in chairs on her right side, Inuyasha was leaning against the wall opposite her with his arms crossed, and the nurse sat in a chair on her left.**

**"Oh, thank goodness," Sango said as she sighed with relief.**

**"We thought you might have to go to the hospital," Miroku said with a smile.**

**"Feh," Inuyasha huffed and turned his head to look at the wall.**

**Kagome looked at the three, still holding her head, not quite registering what they said. She was more confused as to why they were there... and her. Why was she there?**

**"Poor dear... P.E. is such a dangerous class...," the nurse muttered as she finished wrapping a bandage around Kagome's ankle. "Oh, I'm sorry, you probably don't even know what happened. Well, obviously you fell off the beam and hit your head. You've been out for two hours. That gentleman over there, Inuyasha, carried you here, and your two friends, Miroku and Sango, came to make sure you were all right. I think you sprained your ankle, too."**

**Before Kagome could do anything, the nurse had already lifted her pant leg halfway up, and gasped as she saw all the cuts and bruises on Kagome's leg. Inuyasha's eyes widened as Kagome immediately pulled it back down as fast as she could. Luckily for her, Sango and Miroku weren't paying attention and didn't see it.**

**Inuyasha was standing up straight now, looking at her shocked. 'She couldn't have gotten those from falling off the beam! Is that what she was talking about covering up in her diary?' The nurse had her gaze locked on Kagome's as she stared at her, clearly waiting for an explaination.**

**Kagome felt extremely uncomfortable under the two's looks and nervously figeted with the hem of her gym shirt. 'I have to think of something fast!' Miroku and Sango sat in their chairs watching the scene confused. "I... um... fell down the stairs yesterday." Inuyasha rose one eyebrow, obviously not buying it, as the nurse sighed and left the room muttering something about kids and recklessness.**

**Sango and Miroku got up, yawning and stretching their arms out, as Inuyasha walked over to the door, holding it open for them. "Hurry up, wench. The lunch bell just rang."**

**Sango reached her hand out to help a hesitant Kagome up. She pulled her up halfway and suddenly dropped her back onto the bed with an "oof!" upon feeling a certain pervert's hand on her rear end. "Keep your hands to yourself, you sicko!" she shouted before slapping him hard across the face.**

**"It's always worth it...," Miroku chuckled as he carefully held his sore cheek.**

**Kagome helped herself up, grabbed her stuff, and limped outside, being careful not to put too much pressure on her ankle. The other three followed suit. Sango came out last, closing the door softly behind her as she, Miroku, and Inuyasha started walking towards the lunch court. Kagome turned and started going the opposite way.**

**"Kagome, aren't you going to come with us?" she heard Sango ask.**

**"I... uh... need to do something." 'Do they actually want to be my friends? But why would they? No one's wanted to be friends with me since Mom died and I had to start dressing like a geek to cover up all my bruises.'**

**"Oh, okay. See you tommorrow then."**

**Inuyasha waited until Kagome turned the corner before quickly taking off after her and shouting back to Miroku and Sango, "I have to get something out of my locker! I'll see you later!"**

**"Do you think he's going to follow after Kagome?" Sango asked Miroku as they walked down the hallway.**

**"Maybe he wanted some time alone with her so they could have some **_**fun**_**," he responded with a perverted grin as he put a large emphasis on the word fun.**

**"I don't think so!" Sango shouted before grabbing her heaviest textbook and proceeding to try to beat all the perverted thoughts out of his mind.**


	8. Mangos

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 8 - Mangos**

**Inuyasha held his breath as he peeked his head around the corner, seeing Kagome sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall. 'Why is she sitting here all alone?' he thought as Kagome reached into her bag and pulled out a mango. His face was void of all emotion, excluding curiosity, as he continued staring at her while she ate and stared off into the distance. 'She's still a mango-fanatic!' He rolled his eyes and smiled slightly, remembering her obsession with mangos when they were little.**

**Kagome absentmindedly reached her left hand up and clutched a lock of black hair, twirling it gently around her finger as she slowly took bites out of her fruit, savoring the cold juice it produced for her tongue.**

**'Should I go eat with them? I know I shouldn't, but it would be nice to have people to talk to and sit with, instead of sitting on the cold, hard ground by myself like usual. But I have a feeling that Inuyasha's going to ask me about what he saw in the nurse's office and I won't know what to say. He obviously didn't believe the whole falling down the stairs thing so even if I make something else up, he might still be suspicious, knowing that I lied the first time.'**

**"Hey." Kagome jumped up off the ground in surprise and squeaked as her mango flew out of her hand. Before she even knew what she was doing, she found herself diving into the grass as her partially eaten mango plopped back down into her cupped hands. She panted while she slowly got up, whiping her pants free of any tiny shreds of grass and dirt. 'This is all the food I managed to sneak away this morning, I can't afford to lose it.'**

**Inuyasha just stood and watched with wide eyes, shocked, as this girl dove right into the dirt and grass to save a stupid little mango, acting as if she were catching a newborn baby that just fell off the twin towers. His mouth was hanging wide open as she slowly got up, whiping off her clothes nonchalantly. She looked up at him, obviously at a loss for words, before walking casually back to her spot and flopping down on the ground.**

**"You just... Why did you...? You..." he stuttered, trying to find the right words.**

**Kagome sighed and replied, "Maybe I just really love mangos, ok? Don't tell me you don't remember?" **_**'He can't find out that this is the only food I have.'**_

**"How could I forget? So why aren't you eating with Sango, Miroku, and me? Think you're too good for us?"**

**'The exact opposite...' she thought before deciding to do herself a favor. She slipped her arm through her bookbag's strap, sighed heavily, and stood up, walking back the way she came. 'There's no way out of it, and I could use some company.'**

**"So, wench, does that mean you'll eat with us?" he asked, following a few feet behind her.**

**"Sure," she replied, as she continued walking down the hallway. She kept her eyes looking straight ahead, straining to hide the smile that tried to creep its way onto her face. She was actually going to hang out with real people for once and might even have friends, even though she knew deep down it was really risky. That's why she wasn't expecting it when she tripped and twisted her already-injured ankle on a rock, falling face-forward into the ground. A jolt of pain shot up through her leg as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, awaiting the forceful impact.**

**It never came. She opened her eyes and slowly lifted her head up to find herself in Inuyasha's arms. He looked down at her and smirked.**

**"Are you trying to kill yourself today?"**

**Kagome couldn't help but smile as she regretfully released herself from him and thanked him meekly, the two of them walking side by side to the lunch court together.**

**'I won't let you take Inuyasha away from me, Kagome,' a certain person thought as she watched from the shadows. 'I'll really get you this time.'**


	9. Friends, Jealousy, and Notes

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 9 - Friends, Jealousy, and Notes**

**Inuyasha and Kagome spotted Miroku and Sango sitting next to each other on a bench out in the food court right next to Kikyo and her fanclub's table. Kagome gulped and hoped Inuyasha didn't hear her, as she mustered up all her courage and stomped past their table with her head held high.**

**'Ouch, stomping... not a good idea with a twisted ankle.'**

**"Hey, Kagome! Inuyasha! Nice day out, isn't it?" Miroku asked, looking up at the sky.**

**"Feh," Inuyasha replied as he dropped his bag on the floor and plopped down next to Miroku with his arms crossed. Kagome tried to stop herself from smiling as she took a seat next to Sango, gently placing her bag in her lap. Inuyasha looked at her and rose an eyebrow. "What are you so happy for, you stupid wench?"**

**"Jeeze, Inuyasha. Leave her alone, she just got out of the nurse's, you jerk." Sango said as she punched him hard in the arm, getting a very long "Owwwwwwwwwwww" from him.**

**'Did she actually just hit him for me? But she barely even knows me, why is she acting like we're friends?' Kagome thought as she fiddled with her bookbag's strap. She looked up at them nervously and swallowed as she asked shyly, "So you and Miroku are new here?"**

**"Yeah, we just transferred. If you want to know why it's because this stupid pervert over here was touching this girl in places that aren't supposed to be touched. What he didn't know at the time was that she was the vice principal's daughter, so obviously he got expelled. I decided to switch too, because Miroku and I have been best friends since around third grade, and I got into a lot of fights with kids at that school anyway... I'm going to get something to eat, I'll be right back." Sango answered for her, before getting up to go get a slice of pizza**

**Kagome pulled out her mango and took small bites out of it at a time as she quietly tapped her feet on the ground. 'I can't believe I'm actually hanging out with other students that don't hate me. This is unbelievable. I just hope Kikyo or anyone else doesn't ruin it...'**

**"Well well well! What have we here! Inuyasha hanging out with the new kid and the geek!" Kikyo squealed as if the sight was cute.**

**'Spoke too soon,' Kagome thought as she turned her head and tried to ignore her.**

**"Kikyo, just get lost. No one wants you here," Inuyasha said lazily, crossing his arms behind his head.**

**"Inuyashy-poo, don't talk like that to your girlfriend. It's not nice"**

**"Kikyo, we've been over this. 'We're over' means we no longer see each other. I'm on my own, and you're on your own, get it?" he said slowly as if talking to a five year old.**

**Kikyo huffed and stomped away, tossing a small, folded piece of paper to Kagome before leaving.**

**"OOOOOOhhhhhhhh! Let me see!" Miroku shouted, trying to get it from Kagome, who just held it out of his reach. "Come on, what did she say!" he shouted before tackling Kagome off the bench and onto the grass. He snatched the paper from Kagome's hand and looked down at her with a smirk. "I like this position..."**

**Kagome just realized that he had been straddling her waist and blushed profusely, struggling with all her might to wiggle out from under him. Her face turned beet red and she was about to scream in protest when Inuyasha's fist came in contact with Miroku's head, knocking him about five feet away from Kagome. Sango returned just at that moment and laughed at him, not even bothering to ask what happened, it was all too obvious.**

**'Why did Inuyasha just do that...? It seems like he's jealous! Why the heck would he be jealous over me though, that's just ridiculous!' Kagome thought as she pushed herself up and grabbed the paper off the ground. It was folded about five times and smelled like cheap perfume, with little pink hearts drawn all over it. 'Kikyo's such a snotty girly girl...' She unfolded it and scowled as her eyes scanned over the paper. She huffed and crinkled it up, tossing it over her shoulder just as the bell rang. Grabbing her stuff, she quickly said good-bye to Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha, before heading off to her fifth period class, art.**

**Sango and Miroku said their good-byes and left Inuyasha to "make sure he had all his stuff". Inuyasha waited until they left before kneeling down and picking up the crumpled note Kagome had tossed away. He flattened it out and held it up to read it.**

_**Stay away from Inuyasha, loser. He doesn't like you and never will. Oh, and expect a surprise later today.**_

**Inuyasha re-read it a few more times before crinkling it up and stuffing it in his pocket. He slipped his bag over his shoulder and began walking to class, thinking about what Kikyo could have meant. 'I know she's still not over me yet, but was that last part supposed to be a threat or something...?'**


	10. Free

**AN:**** Special thanks goes out to Kagome1514 for beta-reading this chapter, plus the next two. **

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 10 - Free**

**"Now, class, your next assignment is to draw or sketch a picture of someone close to you or that means a lot to you. I'll check it at the end of the period and then you can keep it if you want. Okay, now get to work," Kagome's art teacher, Mr. Kitsune, instructed the class.**

**Kagome chewed on her pencil as she stared at the blank sheet of paper placed in front of her. 'Who should I draw? Not many people are close to me, and I already drew Mom for our last assignment... Maybe Inuyasha, Sango, or Miroku, they mean a lot to me.'**

**She picked up her writing utensil and concentrated, as she gently slid the tip of her pencil around her paper. She paused halfway and looked up at Inuyasha, who was on the opposite side of the room, to find him staring at her. Her cheeks flushed as she snapped her head back down and continued drawing.**

**Once finished, she stood up and held her paper to her chest, so no one could see who she drew, and held it out to the teacher while he inspected it.**

**"Hmmm... Now who could this be?" he responded with a chuckle and smiled as Kagome's face turned red with embarrassment. "Great job, A." She returned to her seat just as the bell rang and slipped her bookbag's strap over her shoulder, tucked her pencil behind her ear, picked up her binder and walked quietly out of the room to her last class.**

**Sixth period went by pretty uneventfully as Mr. Myouga rambled on about the U.S. Constitution. Throughout the whole hour Kagome had an unsettling feeling in her stomach as she thought about Kikyo's note earlier. Sure, she pretended not to care, but it was secretly eating away at her. Whatever "surprise" meant, it couldn't be good.**

**The bell rang and Kagome was the first out of the classroom. She didn't want to be home late and have a reason for her Dad to be angry with her, especially since he had been in really bad moods lately and had been using her as his personal punching bag.**

**"Hey, that's the girl Kikyo knocked off the balance beam."**

**"Yeah, I heard she got knocked unconscious and stayed at the nurse's office for two hours..."**

**"Psht, what a loser..."**

**Kagome ignored the whispers and snickers as she walked quickly down the hallway. She suddenly felt something wet and sticky hit her face and groaned in frustration as she lifted up her sleeve and wiped the spitwad off her cheek. She felt someone's hands tug roughly on her shoulders and squeaked in surprise as she felt herself being dragged into the girls' restroom. She heard the door slam shut and click, meaning she was locked in.**

**"Remember I said you were going to get a surprise, Kagome?"**

**Kagome looked up at the smirking faces of Kikyo, Soten, Kagura, Kanna, and Yura towering over her. She gulped and backed away into the wall. She was still sitting on the cold floor, giving them a huge advantage.**

**"Well this is it. I hope you learn your lesson, little Kagome."**

**Kagome felt herself being yanked up to her feet by Yura, who was holding her tightly by her hair, and suddenly had the breath knocked out of her as Soten's fist came into contact with her stomach. Kikyo slapped her across the face, sending her glasses flying onto the ground, where Kanna easily smashed them by stepping on them.**

**She felt her hair being released as her whole body was thrown violently into the bathroom sink. Her hip slammed into the faucet and she could feel a trickle of blood seeping through her pant leg. Kagura approached her and grabbed her wrist, yanking her off and swinging her all the way to the other side of the room where her back and head slammed into the hard, tiled wall. She winced and felt one of her ribs effectively crack inside her, before weakly sliding down the wall to the floor. The five began taking turns kicking, shoving and punching her as Kagome merely clenched her eyes shut helplessly and took the abuse.**

**"Why don't you cry out, Kagome?" she faintly heard Kikyo shout.**

_**'Because I'm used to it...' **_**Kagome thought, but kept her mouth shut. **_**'I deserve it... It's all my fault Mom's dead...' **_**As that last thought pierced her mind, another blow to the head by Soten knocked Kagome into blissful unconsciousness.**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**Kagome slowly opened her eyes to find herself lying on the freezing, hard ground of the empty restroom. She slowly pushed herself up, much to her discomfort, and immediately clutched her side and ground her teeth in pain. Her pant leg was wet with blood and stuck to her open wound.**

**She crawled over to the door and gripped the handle, pulling herself up. She swayed a little as she unlocked and opened the door, gasping as she was met with the chilly darkness of night.**

_**'Oh my god, I was out for that long! I have to get home fast! Dad's going to kill me!'**_

**She squeezed her eyes shut as she kneeled down and heaved her bookbag back onto her shoulder, before painfully making her way home. Her side was throbbing and her hip burned by the slightest movement, but she tried to ignore it as she limped down the sidewalk. Her eyes began to water against her will while she clutched both hands against her sore rib.**

**Her house came into view and she noticed all the lights were off in the entire place. Looking up at the sky, she focused her eyes on the brightest star and concentrated hard, making a wish.**

_**'I wish to be free... Free from my dad, free from Kikyo, and free from this lame excuse for a life...'**_

**While she climbed up her front steps, using the railing for assistance, Kagome had to hold back the incredible urge to burst into tears, drop to the ground, and just lay there until she died. Pushing open the front door, she quietly stepped inside. The house had a strange silence to it, and frankly... she was way beyond creeped out.**

**She closed the door behind her and took two tentative steps inside, when she felt two strong arms pull her roughly against an incredibly large body. One hand covered her mouth, muffling her screams, while the other gripped her around the waist.**

**"Yur late," she heard her father droned out drunkenly.**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**Inuyasha sighed as he made up his mind and got out of bed. He walked over to his living room and grabbed a jacket, before opening and shutting the front door behind him. He was instantly met with a blast of cold air once he left his apartment and pulled his jacket tight around his body.**

**He checked his watch, seeing that it was eight o'clock, but there was no way he'd be getting any sleep all night anyway if he didn't do this. Stopping at a streetlight, he tilted his head to gaze up at the sky. Finding the brightest star, he softly closed his eyes and made a wish.**

_**'I wish for things to be back the way they were... I wish to have true friends, like I used to have... I wish for Kagsy back...'**_

**The light turned red and Inuyasha huddled into his jacket for warmth as he crossed the empty street. Kikyo's note earlier had been bothering him to no end and eventually he couldn't stand it anymore and had to make sure Kagome was all right.**

**He began climbing up the steps and froze when he saw a little red droplet of blood splattered on the ground. He kneeled down curiously to check if it was really blood, but immediately snapped back up when he heard someone's muffled screams behind the door. His heartbeat quickened as he placed his hand on the door, straining his ears to hear anything else.**

**"Yur late," he heard a man slur out as if he was drunk. Suddenly something smashed on the other end of the door and he heard a loud thud. He cursed inwardly as his curiosity got the better of him and he stepped over to peer through the window.**

**His hand shot up to cover his mouth, suppressing a gasp. He saw, to his horror, a wounded, bleeding Kagome lying barely conscious on the floor, surrounded by thousands of tiny glass shards. Her father towered over her and to his left was a large, shattered ex-mirror that he had obviously slammed Kagome into.**

**Inuyasha's eyes were wide open and unfocused as hundreds of memories, such as Kagome's diary entries, raced in front of his face. Everything made sense now.**

**With a new motive, Inuyasha stepped back and braced himself, before running forward again and slamming his shoulder into the door, effectively knocking the pathetic thing down. Kagome's drunken father was kind of slow on the uptake and didn't acknowledge Inuyasha's presence until he did to him what he did to the door.**

**Inuyasha made sure the man was out cold before running to the telephone and dialing 911. He waited for someone to pick up and shouted Kagome's address loud and clear into the speaker, before slamming it back down on the receiver, knowing they'd come.**

**He knelt down beside Kagome's battered body and slipped his arms under her, one under her knees and the other behind her shoulders, and carried her bridal style outside, not forgetting to grab her bag on the way out.**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**"How you feeling?"**

**"Where am I...?" Kagome asked with a groan as she slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room. Her whole body was aching, so she didn't even bother trying to get up.**

**"In your new home."**

**Kagome gasped as she saw Inuyasha sitting at the foot of her bed, staring at her with a smile on his face. All her wounds were cleaned and bandaged up and she found she was lying in Inuyasha's extra bedroom in his apartment. "But how... My dad... You knew about... How...," she stuttered, trying to figure out what was going on.**

**"Don't worry, Kagome. You're fine now, and your dad is most likely being arrested at the moment. I was worried about you so I came to make sure you were all right, and well... you know the rest. I carried you here about an hour ago, and you're going to be staying here from now on... unless you don't want to. Whatever, it's your choice," he replied cooly, still smiling.**

**Kagome's face went blank for a moment as her mind registered what was going on. She recalled a little bit of what happened, for she had been semi-conscious, and smiled. It was hard believing this was true and not a dream. Inuyasha had rescued her. She was free and would never experience anymore of her dad's beatings ever again.**

**After a few minutes of making sure everything was real, she finally replied. "I... um... I guess I'll take you up on your offer. And thanks, Inuyasha... a lot. I don't know how I can ever repay you." Inuyasha nodded to her and got up to leave the room, but stopped and reached into his jacket, digging around for something.**

**"Oh and I found this in your jacket," he said as he held up the picture of him she drew for art class.**

**She blushed and was about to make up some lame excuse for choosing to draw him, but he stopped her by lifting up his own drawing. It was Kagome of course, sketched perfectly by Inuyasha himself. She smiled at him, mildly irritated at the fact that she couldn't get off the bed, and reached into her bag that Inuyasha had conveniently left beside her, pulling out her best friends charm from nine years ago.**

**Inuyasha pulled his out, too and waved it at her before leaving to get her a glass of water. He stood in his kitchen, gazing out the window at a certain star and silently thanking the heavens. Things were back the way they used to be, with an added twist. He was now living with his best friend and, secretly, the girl of his dreams.**

**Kagome lay in her bed in her new room, staring out the window at the same star. Who knew? Maybe god liked her after all. Her smile grew brighter as a single tear streaked down her face. The star she had been gazing at, the brightest one in the sky, faded away and was replaced with her mother's face. Another tear made its way down her cheek as she laughed quietly to herself and whispered to the sky, "I'm free."**


	11. Flashback

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 11 - Flashback**

**"Inuyasha, get up! You're going to be late!" Kagome shouted, shaking him.**

**Inuyasha swatted Kagome's hand away and rolled over onto his stomach, pulling his pillow tightly over his head. He groaned in annoyance as Kagome continued pestering him to get up.**

**One month had passed since Kagome moved in with Inuyasha. She no longer dressed like a geek, since she had nothing to cover up, and wore contacts as well, due to her glasses having been broken on that fateful night. She was able to afford all her new clothes and other things thanks to her loving mother who left plenty of money with her before she died.**

_**Flashback**_

_**"Kagsy..."**_

_**"Y-Yes, Momma?" a 13-year old Kagome asked as she kneeled next to her mother's hospital bed, tears streaking down her face. Her mother was sweating and her wounds were taking their tolls on her. The docters said there was nothing more they could do and everyone knew that it wouldn't be long before she headed into the next world.**_

_**"I'm so tired... but before I go... I wanted you to know... that I love you very, very much and that there's... some money in the very bottom drawer of my dresser... I want you to have it, but don't tell your father, okay?"**_

_**"M-Mom... No! Please don't go! I don't want any money! I want you to stay with me!" Kagome shouted as her hands clutched a handful of her mother's blanket desperately. Her bangs covered her eyes while she rested her forehead against the bed's side so her mother wouldn't see how much she was crying. Her chest ached and her eyes stung, and she couldn't help but feel so incredibly helpless as she stood there doing nothing while her mother died.**_

_**"Kagsy, don't cry. Please... I want you to use that money in case of an emergency or if you really need it. Don't waste it and don't tell your father... okay? For me?"**_

_**Kagome lifted her hand up to rub her eyes and weakly nodded. She rose her head up slowly and looked at her mother, who was amazingly smiling down at her with such love in her eyes that Kagome wanted to burst out crying again.**_

_**"Kagome... I love you so much... I don't even know how to put it in words... Tell your father I love him, too... and to take good care of you... Live long and be happy. Take care of yourself... I love you, Kagsy..."**_

_**Kagome's chocolate brown eyes filled with tears again as her mother's heart monitor began jolting up and down, beeping. The sound got louder and louder and Kagome shook her head slowly back and forth, eyes wide. This was all her fault. She had killed her mother...**_

_**The docters rushed in, doing all they could to keep her mother alive, but it was all in vain. The heart monitor was as loud as it could get by now and there was no longer any sign of her mother's breathing. The docters all sighed and took off their masks, shaking their heads sadly as they walked away with their heads bowed.**_

_**Kagome burst into sobs and leapt into her mother's chest, crying into her gown. Her father stood in the doorway, watching the sight helplessly. How could he let this happen? He let his wife die... No... His daughter did... His sadness turned to anger as he stomped over to the couple. Kagome had her arms wrapped around her mother's waist like a lifeline and had her head buried in her mother's chest while her cries grew louder.**_

_**She felt someone pull her off her mother by her shirt collar and was tossed roughly onto her back some feet away. She sniffled and pushed herself up in shock, looking up through her glossy eyes to see her father standing at her mother's bedside, gently stroking her cheek.**_

_**"D-Daddy...?" she asked uncertainly and stood up, taking a step closer to her father as she wiped the tears off her cheek. She gasped as her father spun around angrily and slapped her across the face.**_

_**"You killed her! How could you! You killed your own mother!"**_

_**Kagome lifted one hand up and gently touched her reddening cheek. Her father had never hit her before.**_

_**"I-I didn't mean to! I didn't want her to stay home with me! I-I didn't kill her! It was an accident!"**_

_**Her father struck her again with even more force and shouted, "Shut up! I don't want to hear anymore of your excuses! Now get out!"**_

_**Kagome's eyes filled up with more tears again as she buried her face in her hands, spun around on her heel and ran out of the room.**_

_**End Flashback**_

**Sure enough, there was around a thousand dollars in her mother's bottom drawer, and she saved it for four entire years, deciding to spend it now.**

**Inuyasha groaned and pulled himself out of his bed, knowing that Kagome, being the stubborn girl she was, wouldn't stop until he got up. His cheeks flushed as he looked Kagome up and down. She was wearing a short black mini-skirt along with a pink tank top and had her hair straight, hanging loosely down to her mid-back.**

**Kagome noticed him staring and blushed as well, turning around quickly. She kneeled down and picked up her bag, gesturing for him to hurry up, before walking towards the door with a big smile plastered on her face.**

**Inuyasha changed quickly and grabbed his own bag, following after her. He opened the door and they both stepped outside to be greeted by Sango and Miroku, who were both already waiting in the two back seats of his car.**


	12. The Drive to School

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 12 - The Drive to School**

**Kagome glared at Sango, who in turn smirked at her, and sighed as she stomped over to the passenger's seat. Sango had been trying to hook her up with Inuyasha ever since Kagome first moved in, and it was really getting on her nerves. Both Sango and Miroku knew about Kagome's life before she moved in, and the four of them were the best of friends now.**

**Inuyasha watched Kagome and Sango's exchange and just shrugged while he walked over to the driver's seat. Miroku constantly accused him of liking Kagome and, like Sango, was always trying to hook the two up. Inuyasha was just too airheaded to notice.**

**Inuyasha pulled open the door and blushed as he just then noticed what Miroku and Sango had done. His convertable only had four seats and the front two were very close together. He tried to act casual and hide his blush as he slipped in right next to Kagome, the two's arms brushing against each other for a moment.**

**"So, you two... Anything **_**interesting**_** happen last night?" Miroku asked with a perverted grin as Inuyasha started up the car. "You were both blushing a lot when you came out..."**

**Sango closed her eyes and grumbled in annoyance before hitting him upside the head with her textbook. Kagome grabbed her CD player and turned around with it held up in the air, preparing to smash it down on the pervert's head.**

**Miroku's eyes widened when he saw what Kagome was about to do and shot his hand down for his bag, holding it up in front of his face as a shield. "Please, ladies! I meant no harm! It was just out of curiosity!"**

**"Right..." Kagome mumbled as she put her CD player down on her lap and leaned her elbow on the window sill to watch all the buildings fly by. Inuyasha reached over to the radio and turned on some rock music, knowing full well Kagome hated it.**

**"Inuyasha, change it! You know I hate this kind of music!" she shouted, reaching over to switch the station. Inuyasha smirked and grabbed her wrist with one hand, holding onto the steering wheel with the other. This only caused Kagome to blush and try to wriggle out of his grasp.**

**Sango sighed and stood up once they hit a red light, leaning over to change the station. Her left eye twitched in anger when she felt a certain guy's hand brush against her rear.**

**"Miroku...?" she asked sweetly.**

**Miroku blinked at the kindness in her voice and stuttered, "Y-yes?"**

**Sango clenched her fist tightly andpunched it into Miroku's face, slamming him into the door next to him and causing wierdly-shaped, multicolored stars to fly in front of his eyes.**

**"Don't ever touch me there again, you jackass!"**

**The light turned green and Inuyasha sped off down the street, effectively knocking Sango back into her seat, and right back down onto a certain pervert's hand. Miroku grinned and began to squeeze her butt some more, when she jumped up and grabbed his wrist firmly, a threatening look in her eyes.**

**Kagome was still whining and struggling to get out of Inuyasha's grip when a new song came on, much to her anguish. Miroku stopped begging Sango for mercy and looked up at the radio, smirking. Inuyasha smirked as well and the two began singing along really loudly, causing Kagome and Sango to groan and hold their ears tightly.**

_**To the windows!**_

_**To the wall!**_

_**'Til the sweat drops down my-**_

**Kagome blinked at her own stupidity and reached her free hand over, changing the station. Both girls sighed and let go of their ears, leaning back to listen to the music. The two guys scowled, whining about it being "chick music", but were silenced when Kagome and Sango began singing along with the radio.**

_**Making my way downtown**_

_**Walking fast**_

_**Faces passing**_

_**And I'm homebound...**_

**'Wow, her voice is beautiful...,' both Inuyasha and Miroku thought at the same time.**

_**If I could fall**_

_**Into the sky**_

_**Do you think time**_

_**Would pass me by**_

_**Oh**_

_**And you know I'd walk**_

_**A thousand miles to find you**_

**'Too true...,' Kagome thought, looking over at Inuyasha. Unfortunately, the moment just had to be ruined by someone...**

**"So about that question earlier... Did anything **_**interesting**_** happen last-"**

**"THAT'S IT!" Kagome shouted turning around and smashing her CD player over Miroku's head, pieces flying everywhere.**

**"Ladies! No need to be so abusive!" Miroku whined, rubbing his sore head painfully. Sango was just staring at Kagome in shock. She had never done anything so violent before... but she liked it.**

**Kagome huffed and turned back around, slumping down in her seat, not caring how badly she hurt the lecher. Just then she noticed her CD player at her feet on the floor of the car and looked up at Inuyasha nervously.**

**"Damn it, Kagome! That was mine!"**


	13. Hearing Things?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 13 - Hearing Things?**

**Kagome laughed nervously and scooted away from Inuyasha, but just to her luck, they were in his cramped convertable... Escape was not an option.**

**"You're paying for that," Inuyasha stated simply, not taking his eyes off the road.**

**Kagome stared at him and blinked. She was expecting some sort of fight to ensue. Sango and Miroku both looked at Inuyasha the same way. Kagome opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't think of anything and shut it.**

**Inuyasha sighed as they pulled up in the school parking lot. "Yay, school. Is anyone else as excited as I am?" he asked sarcastically.**

**Kagome picked up her bag and began to push open the door, when she heard a small whimper from a little ways off. She froze and tried to listen for it again.**

**"Something wrong, Kagome?" Sango asked her worriedly.**

**Kagome didn't answer for a few more seconds, and then sighed and stepped out of the car. "Nothing, I just thought I heard something."**

**Sango nodded and the four began walking towards the school building. Kagome stopped in her tracks when she thought she heard someone again. It was a small voice, kind of like a child's. She shook it off and ran to catch up with the rest of the group.**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**Kagome sat in her seat during first period, staring out the window. She had been doing that all period.**

_**'What was that sound I heard earlier...? I have to find out!'**_

**Inuyasha reached over and poked Kagome in the ribs with his index finger, causing her to whirl around and glare at him.**

**"Quit daydreaming and pay attention," he whispered to her, not taking his eyes off the teacher. Kagome rolled her eyes at him. He was failing that class, so who was he to talk?**

_**'That's it! I need to know!' **_**she thought and cleared her throat quietly.**

**All of a sudden, Kagome let out a loud moan and leaned forward on her desk, clutching her stomach. The teacher and the rest of the class turned around and looked at her strangely.**

**"Is there something wrong, Miss Higurashi?" the teacher asked, not really caring all that much.**

**"I don't feel that well..." she said softly, looking down at her desk.**

**Inuyasha rose an eyebrow at her. She was fine a few seconds ago, so he knew she was faking. 'What's she up to?'**

**"Fine, gather your things and go to the nurse. Now as I was saying..."**

**Kagome leaned down and grabbed her bag, looking up to smirk at Inuyasha, before heading out the door to the nurse's office.**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**Kagome walked carefully down the steps to the front of the school, clutching her pass to leave at her side.**

_**'I should be an actress.'**_

**She looked around and didn't hear anything, and decided to go to where she last heard the sound. Something was tugging at her heart that she just had to go and find it.**

**She reached the corner of the school building and stood with her back pressed up against the brick wall. She could faintly hear soft breathing nearby and felt her heart thumping in her chest out of anxiety.**

**Summoning up her courage, she straightened herself and turned around, gasping at what she saw.**


	14. Shippo

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha...**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 14 - Shippo**

**Lying on the ground was an extremely small boy, fast asleep in the shade of a tree. Kagome kneeled down to get a better look at him.**

**He had bright orange hair about armpit length, tied in a ponytail at the back of his head, and wore blue jeans with a plain yellow t-shirt. What Kagome found the most perplexing about him, though, was the fluffy orange tail sticking out from behind him, matching his hair perfectly.**

**'What... is he?'**

**Out of curiosity, she slowly reached out and touched his tail gently. His eyes snapped open immediately and he let out a whimper, shrinking back away from her in fear.**

**She quickly pulled her hand back with wide eyes, realizing she had woken him up. He burst into tears and threw his hands up to cover his face. Without hesitation, she instinctively reached both arms out and pulled him into a tight hug, whispering comforting words in his ears to calm him down.**

**Shippo looked up at her through big, teary eyes, thinking, **_**'Her scent is the same as Mom's...'**_

**At this, Shippo burst into tears again and buried his face in her chest, crying into her pink shirt.**

**The two of them sat there for what seemed like hours, Shippo with his arms wrapped tightly around Kagome's waist, and Kagome sitting in the shade of the tree, holding him gently in her lap like a mother.**

**Kagome looked down when his grip on her loosened, to find him fast asleep in her lap. She slipped her arms under him and scooped him up, wondering what to do next.**

**Glancing around, she spotted the school parking lot and got a mischevous glint in her eyes.**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**Shippo awoke to a strong breeze blowing through his hair. Looking down, he found himself buckled up in the seat of a car... without a roof. Shippo furrowed his eyebrows. He had never seen anything like it.**

**Kagome smiled down at him from the driver's seat of Inuyasha's convertable. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel along with the soft music flowing gently out of the speakers.**

**"So... I'm Kagome. What's your name?" she asked cheerfully with an even bigger smile.**

**Shippo hesitated for a second, but decided that this girl seemed really nice and for some strange reason, he felt kind of attached to her. Maybe it was because of her resemblance to his mother.**

**"I'm... Shippo," he answered shyly, fiddling with his fingers in his lap.**

**"So, um... why were you outside anyway?" she asked, purposely not questioning why he was crying, even though she was dying to know.**

**"Well, uh..." Shippo paused for a second, trying to remember everything that happened. "Me and my momma and poppa were walking down the street..." He stared down at his lap, tears welling up in his big, green eyes.**

**"Go on..." Kagome encouraged softly.**

**Shippo sniffed and wiped his eyes before continuing, "Well these big guys grabbed Mother and Father and pulled them into a darker street. They said that Father owed them some money and he said he didn't have it, so they... they..."**

**"That's alright, you don't have to continue," Kagome said, feeling a great wave of sympathy towards the young orphan. "So, Shippo... I'm sorry, but I have to know... Why do you have an... erm... tail?"**

**Shippo cringed and bowed his head shamefully. "I'm a demon..."**

**"Come again?"**

**"I'm a fox demon," he repeated, shrinking away from her and expecting her to freak out just like everyone else he told had.**

**"Are you really? That's so cool!" she yelled excitedly.**

**Shippo blinked at her. That wasn't the kind of freaking out that he was expecting.**

**"Oh, can I touch your tail? It looks so soft!" Shippo nodded and Kagome reached one hand over, stroking his fluffy brown tail lovingly. Shippo could barely keep himself from purring and felt himself leaning into her touch.**

**"So where are you staying now?" she asked curiously.**

**"I don't know..." he replied sadly, staring down at his lap again.**

**Kagome smiled and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, not taking her eyes off the road. She hit a red light and began to giggle.**

**Shippo looked up at her strangely. **_**'I think this girl's crazy... Wait! What if she's kidnapping me! I gotta get out of here!' **_**He looked frantically around the car as Kagome's giggles increased in volume.**

**"Well then, I guess you're going to have to stay with me."**

**Shippo froze and his eyes widened. "W-what?"**

**Kagome ignored him as she pulled up in the apartment building's parking lot and opened her door, stepping out.**

**"You're going to stay with me," she repeated. "I mean... unless you don't want to..." she muttered, opening his door for him.**

**He looked up at her, his eyes filling up with tears again. She smiled down at him and held her arms out, waiting for an answer.**

**Shippo rubbed his eyes and beamed at her, before launching himself into her outstretched arms, giggling into her shirt.**

**Kagome laughed and hugged him, taking that as a yes. She lifted him up onto her shoulders and grabbed his feet so he wouldn't fall off, realizing that he also had paws. She rubbed her thumb softly against one of them, thinking it even cuter, before sprinting up the stairs. Both of them giggled and laughed, feeling like the luckiest people in the world to have found each other.**


	15. Reactions

**Important Announcement:**

**My whole family and I are going on vacation to Syria from June 21 to July 21, so I hate to say it, but unless I can find a computer with internet access over there, there most likely won't be any updates during that time. I'm really sorry, guys! Don't kill me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 15 - Reactions**

**"KAGOME!"**

**"Oh crap...," Kagome muttered, looking up from the television. It was half past two o' clock, 15 minutes after school got out. She was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching t.v. with Shippo in her lap.**

**"What the hell did you take my car for! I had to walk all the way home, you inconsiderate wench!" Inuyasha shouted, stomping over to her from the doorway.**

**"Looks like he could use the exercise..." Shippo snickered from Kagome's lap.**

_**'Shoot, I forgot about Shippo!'**_** she thought, whispering to him to go hide somewhere quickly. "Well, I was sick! Would you really make an ill girl walk home?"**

**"First off, yes, I would. Second, you weren't even sick! What'd you fake for?"**

**"That's none of your business."**

**"Yes it is! Hey wait... When did we get that weird-ass pillow?"**

**Kagome furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, before looking down to find a pale green pillow in her lap with a bright orange tail sticking out of one of the sides. 'I guess demons can shapeshift... This is going to take some adjusting to...' She sweatdropped and answered with, "Hey, I think it's cute."**

**"Well I think it's gay and I don't want anyone to see it in my apartment when they come over, so either get rid of it or keep it in your-" Inuyasha was silenced when the "pillow" suddenly started crying.**

**"It's not my fault I can't change the tail!" Shippo bawled, popping back to his original form. Kagome sighed heavily, knowing she had a lot of explaining to do.**

**"What the hell is that thing!" Inuyasha shouted, pointing at the now quiet kitsune still sitting in Kagome's lap.**

**Shippo flinched and stared down at the ground. Kagome noticed this and gently lifted him up, placing him on the seat next to her, before turning around angrily to face Inuyasha.**

**"Inuyasha, this is Shippo. He's a harmless little fox demon. His parents just died and he has nowhere to go, so he's going to stay with us. If you've got any objections, I don't want to hear them. I pay half the rent, so shut up!"**

**"Jeeze, PMS..." he muttered, sitting down on the couch next to Shippo. "Wait, did you just say he's a demon?"**

**"Yeah, how else would you explain the tail?"**

**Inuyasha shrugged and picked up the remote, switching the station to MTV.**

**"So you don't care that he's staying with us? Or that he's a demon?" Kagome asked, surprised at his reaction. 'It may not have seemed like it, but I was pretty shocked when Shippo told me he was a demon...'**

**Inuyasha swallowed before saying nervously, "Well, I guess demons aren't really a big deal to me. I actually knew one once when I was little." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking anywhere but at Kagome or Shippo.**

**"You did? Who? Where is he or she now?" she asked curiously.**

**"Um... he left when we were really little... So what are you going to do for the rest of the day?" Inuyasha asked, trying to change the subject, not really caring where she was going.**

**"Well, I was planning on taking Shippo to the park for an hour or two, and since tommorow's a Saturday, we can go out again somewhere else. You want to come?" she asked, secretly hoping he'd say yes.**

**"I guess," he replied flatly.**

**Kagome turned around so he wouldn't see her smile and picked up Shippo, before running up the stairs to her room to get ready.**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**"SHIPPO!" Kagome shouted, running around the park, looking for the little lost kitsune. "Shippo, where are you!"**

**Inuyasha watched amused from his spot on one of the park benches as the frantic Kagome tripped over a pail of sand and fell on her face with an 'Oof!' With his sensitive hearing, he could clearly hear Shippo giggling from underneath the sand in the sandbox.**

**Kagome got up and dusted herself off, ignoring all the children's laughter around her. "Shippo... where'd you go...?" she called out tiredly.**

**"Right here!" Shippo shouted, shooting an arm out from under the sand to grab Kagome's ankle, who in turn shrieked her lungs out and caused all the children in the park to clutch their ears painfully.**

**"Shippo! Don't ever do that again!" Kagome scolded him, still trying to catch her breath.**

**"Sorry, Kagome...," Shippo replied sadly with his head bowed, tears welling up in his big emerald eyes. "I thought it would be funny... I didn't mean to make you upset... Are you mad at me? Are you going to leave me here? I mean, I'd understand if you did..."**

**"Oh, Shippo..." Kagome smiled at his innocence and lifted him up by his armpits to look him in the face. "I would never abandon you. Don't ever think that."**

**Shippo lifted up one of his tiny hands to wipe his eyes, before smiling at her and jumping back down to the ground. "You wanna go on the swings?"**

**"Okay, I'll race you there!"**

**Inuyasha sighed contently and leaned back against the cold wood of the bench as he watched the two giggling while they ran, puffs of sand billowing up from under their feet. "She'd make a perfect mother..." he muttered aloud without knowing. **_**'Whoa, did I just say that?'**_

**"Hey, kid!"**

**Shippo halted and turned around at the sound of the voice. Kagome had already made it to the swings and was digging around in her purse for something while she waited for him. "Y-yeah?" he squeaked out shyly, tilting his head to look up at the group of teenage boys towering over him.**

**"Why do you have a tail?" the biggest, toughest one asked him.**

**Shippo shifted nervously under them. "I'm a... a fox demon."**

**The four boys erupted in a fit of laughter.**

**"Yeah right!" the same one from before shouted, bending down to grab Shippo by the tail. The others watched with smirks on their faces as he lifted him up to eye level and pulled on his tail, trying to yank it out.**

**"Ow, stop it! That hurts!" Shippo cried out, twisting around to sink his fangs into the guy's wrist when he didn't stop.**

**"God dammit! That little son of a bitch is a demon!" he yelled out in pain, throwing Shippo to the ground and knocking the air out of him. "Get him!"**

**Kagome zipped up her purse, looking up to see what the commotion was about. She gasped as she saw Shippo holding his little hands tightly over his head and whimpering on the ground with four scruffy guys kicking him and stomping on him. A crowd of young children were gathered around them, watching curiously.**

**"Freak!"**

**"Demon scum!"**

**"Beast!"**

**"Disgusting filth!"**

_**'Oh my god!'**_** was all that ran through her mind as she watched the scene with wide eyes. This seemed all too familiar... She finally gained enough energy to move her legs and dropped her purse to the sand, before sprinting towards him as fast as she could.**

**"Know your place, demon!" the leader of the group shouted, stomping on Shippo's wrist and smirking when he felt it crack a little under his foot. "You're a sin of nature..."**

**Kagome felt her own tears falling out of her eyes and into the air as she ran, not knowing whether it was from the wind whipping her face or from the scene playing out before her. Once she got close enough, she pushed herself between the crowd and threw herself down to the ground to shield Shippo. She gently picked up his limp, unconscious body and held it close to her chest as the four above her looked back and forth between each other amused.**

**"Move it, girl, or you'll get what he just got," one stated firmly.**

**Kagome shook her head no and squeezed her eyes shut, clutching Shippo to her chest as the leader reared his leg back, preparing to kick her with all his strength.**

**"You leave them alone, you bastard!"**

**Kagome looked up shocked to see Inuyasha ram his shoulder into the guy, knocking him to the ground, before kicking him hard in the stomach to make sure he was out for the count. He moved quickly to the next three, who had already taken fighting stances, and finished off with them easily.**

**"Inuyasha, is h-he going to be okay?" Kagome asked hopefully, tears streaking down her face as she cupped the unconscious Shippo's cheek gently. Inuyasha knelt down beside her, ignoring the pathetic heap of moaning teenagers next to them, and looked over her shoulder to see the damage.**

**"I... I don't know..." he said honestly, but quickly realized it was the worst choice of words to use in this case.**

**"No, Shippo! I'm so sorry, this is all my fault...! Please don't die on me!" she sobbed out, hugging him tightly with her face buried in his bright orange hair.**

**'I think she's hurting him even more...' Inuyasha thought frantically, stroking her back desperately to calm her down and keep her from crushing his already broken, beat-up body.**

**"Kagome..." Shippo whimpered out, his eyelids opening up about a centimeter.**

**Kagome stopped crying instantly and pulled back to look at him. **_**'Thank goodness, he's alive...!'**_** she thought happily, filling up with relief.**

**"You said you'd never abandon me..."**

**AN:**** Okay guys, remember to review! Unless I can squeeze time in between all my finals next week or can find a computer with internet in Syria, the next chapter might not be 'til the end of June... So, go ahead and inspire me to give up my study time for Finals to write, and review review review! Love ya! Bye!**


	16. Desperation

**AN:**** ducks under table What has it been, over two years? o.o; Well, I don't really have an excuse for not updating, but, uh, here's a new chapter? Review please?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 16 - Hospitals**

**"HEY! Somebody! We need help!" Inuyasha shouted into the emergency room lobby, Kagome following close behind him and out of breath. They had driven straight to the hospital after the park incident.**

**"Sir, what's the problem?" the receptionist asked with a yawn.**

**"Our friend got beat up by a bunch of thugs and I think he has some broken, or at least fractured, bones" Inuyasha responded quickly, having rehearsed what to say in the car.**

**"And... what would that be?" another wide-eyed staff member asked, walking around the counter, pointing at Shippo's fluffy orange tail.**

**Inuyasha and Kagome stopped and looked at each other. They had forgotten about Shippo's situation. "Um, a, uh.. tail?" Inuyasha replied, realizing how obvious and stupid his answer was.**

**"I'm sorry, we don't treat animals here. There's a vet a few miles down the highway; I'd suggest you go there."**

**"What? No! He's not an animal!"**

**"Oh? What is he then?"**

**Inuyasha stood with his mouth open for a few seconds before responding. "He's a... demon."**

**The two employees turned to look at each other before bursting out in laughter**

**"Very funny, kids. Here's the closest vet's address, and good luck to you and your dog."**

**Kagome glanced frantically at the seething Inuyasha, worried he'd snap.**

**"Dammit!" he shouted, slamming his fist on the counter. Everyone in the lobby turned to stare at the trio as Kagome shrunk in embarrassment. "He's not an animal and he's hurt! What kinda fucking hospital IS this?!"**

**"Sir, if you don't exit the lobby now I'm afraid I'm going to have to call security" the receptionist replied firmly, sitting up in her chair.**

**Inuyasha screamed in frustration and flung his hand across the counter, sending pencils, papers, and other objects flying onto the floor. Kagome clutched the still unconscious kitsune closer to her chest as Inuyasha whipped around and pulled her out the door with him.**

**"Inuyasha... now what?" a frantic Kagome asked as they made their way back to his car.**

**"I don't... I don't know. Let's just go home," he replied, sighing defeatedly.**

**"What?! After all that?! What about Shippo?!"**

**"What about me..?" the little redhead inquired, slowly opening his eyes.**

**"I don't know, Kagome! You heard what they said!"**

**"So let's take him to the vet then!"**

**"Uh, you guys?" Shippo looked back and forth between the two, not comprehending what was going on.**

**"They're not gonna see him either! He's not an animal!"**

**"Well what else can we do?!"**

**"YOU GUYS!" he yelled, jumping out of the distraught girl's arms and down onto the pavement without a flinch.**

**The two teenagers stopped arguing and looked down at the annoyed kid standing between them. "Shippo!" Kagome shrieked, pulling him back into her arms and squeezing him. **

**"What the hell! I thought you were injured!" Inuyasha yelled, pointing accusingly at the kid as if he had done something wrong. Remembering, Kagome stopped crushing him at these words and looked down at him apologetically.**

**"Well I... was, I think." He blinked at the strange comment.**

**"That's right, you..." Kagome trailed off, lifting him up to examine his body in the streetlight of the parking lot. Her eyes widened as she noticed he looked fine. "Where'd all your bruises go?!"**

**Inuyasha suddenly realized what had happened. "You... healed yourself?"**

**"Duh" Shippo retorted. "I'm a demon, remember?"**

**"Yeah, but I-" Inuyasha stopped himself quickly. "That was fast," he finished.**

**Kagome rose an eyebrow at the awkwardness of his last statement. **_**'What's he keeping from me..?'**_

**"Well anyway, let's go home. The brat's fine, and it's getting late." Inuyasha huffed, stomping back to the car. **

**"What's his problem?" Shippo asked. **

**"Dunno" Kagome replied exhaustedly as she followed behind the silver-haired boy already a block away, vaguely wondering if she'd studied enough to pass their history test tomorrow.**

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

_**'So you've teamed up with that kid and a young girl, eh, Inuyasha? How ironic. This should make things more interesting.'**_** A dark figure laughed to himself as the trio drove away into the night, completely oblivious.**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------**

**AN:**** Exciting, huh? xD Leave a comment if you want me to update faster! Ja ne!**


	17. Girlfriend

**AN:**** So, I suck. I'm sorry, guys. But hey, here's something you guys can help me with while you wait for me to update: chapter titles. I think mine are lame, cause I never put any thought into them. If anyone is good at that kind of thing, just give me some title ideas for previous chapters and I might use them. n.n Anyway, thanks for being so patient, everyone, and here's another chapter. :D**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 17 - Girlfriend**

_**"Inuyasha, no!" Kagome heard herself shout in horror. **_

_**Lying on the ground in front of her was the lifeless body of her dear best friend, Inuyasha. **_

_**"Get up, Inuyasha! Open your eyes!" Her hands clutched desperately to his kimono, crimson red like the blood leaking from the corners of his mouth. He wasn't moving. "Oh god, please, no.." **_

_**"Kagome!"**_

_**'Who was that? It sounded like... Inuyasha. But no, he's.. dead...' **_

_**Inuyasha's body began to fade away as her ears filled with the sound of laughter. Someone was laughing... **_

**"KAGOME!"**

**"Wha- huh?" Her cheek felt wet. She touched it with her hand, realizing she was lying in her warm bed with tears streaming down her face.**

**"What the **_**hell**_** is the matter with you?" Inuyasha was leaning over her, his eyebrows creased in a slightly worried fashion. **

**"You're... you're not dead? Oh, thank god!" Kagome shouted, pulling him down into a crushing hug.**

**Inuyasha's face flushed as he pushed away from the sobbing girl. She could have the craziest mood swings sometimes.**

**"Sorry, Inuyasha. I'm fine now." Kagome sniffed and rubbed her eyes, smiling embarassedly. As relieved as she was to see him, she suddenly wished he wasn't there. After all, crying in front of Inuyasha was just out of the question.**

**"Whatever you say" Inuyasha muttered, hesitating before exiting the room. Kagome crinkled her nose in confusion, wondering why she was feeling a sense of deja vu, but shook it off and prepared for the day ahead.**

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

**"Eek! Inuyasha, watch out!"**

**"Kagome..." Inuyasha groaned in annoyance, choking the steering wheel in frustration. "Stop worrying about me already, it was just a dream." He smirked as he saw her blush and turn her head defiantly.**

**"Don't flatter yourself, I'm not worried about you."**

**"Yeah, right."**

**Miroku and Sango yawned tiredly, not even bothering to ask what they were talking about. As Inuyasha's car pulled into the school's parking lot, a loud shriek caused them all to jump in shock. **

**"Why of COURSE I'll go to the winter ball with you, Naraku!" **

**'**_**Naraku...?' **_**Kagome's eyes glazed over as her brain tried to register where it had heard that name before. **_**'I'm going insane,' **_**she decided, turning her attention back to the couple standing in the grass adjacent to the school's main hallway.**

**"Uh, Inuyasha?" Miroku waved his hand up and down in front of the frozen boy's face. **

**"Eh?" Inuyasha blinked, realizing he was standing in the middle of the street blocking traffic. His three friends stared in concern as he tripped over the curb in his hurry to get out of the way. **

**"Inuyasha, are you still half asleep?" Kagome sighed, reaching out a hand to help him up. Smacking her hand away, he pushed himself to his feet and stomped in the direction of his ex and the long black-haired man she was swooning over. Kagome blinked in shock at the sudden violence of her normally cool and composed roommate.**

**"Who the hell is this?" he demanded, pointing accusingly at the man standing beside Kikyo.**

**"A new transfer student. His name is Naraku" she replied with a proud smirk, linking elbows with him before continuing, "and he's just asked me to the winter ball. I said yes, of COURSE. It was love at first sight. Oh, what's the matter, Inuyasha? Jealous?"**

**Kagome approached the seething boy hesitantly, faintly wishing he wouldn't get so worked up over a girl he was supposed to be through with. **_**'Please don't tell me he's jealous,'**_** she thought to herself, shuffling closer to him to remind him that she was still there.**

**"Oh, THAT'S RIGHT, you're still **_**single**_**, aren't you? How adorable!" Kikyo giggled obnoxiously, still clinging tightly to her new man-candy.**

**Kagome flinched slightly, feeling a pang in her chest as she was reminded of what still wasn't. **

**"I... Th- That.. Uh...," Inuyasha's mouth opened and shut, unable to get any words out **

**"How pathetic" Naraku sneered at the stammering boy in front of him before turning to walk away.**

**"Wait! I- I do have a girlfriend!" Inuyasha shouted frantically, stopping the couple in their tracks.**

**"Oh? Really? Where is she then?"**

**"Right here!" **

_**'WHAT?!' **_**Kagome's eyes widened in shock as she felt her body being pulled roughly into Inuyasha's arms. **

**--**

**AN:**** Sorry that took so long. Leave a review and I'll update faster! Ja ne!**

_**Also, special thanks to the following people for reviewing!**_

_**Goth Punk Miko, inuyashaloveskagome4ever, sarbear rokz jokz, iamdevishangel, Diamond369, heakfreakinyes, :D, I kisshu&inuyasha, and nt.**_

_**Without you reviewers I probably wouldn't continue this story. x.x**_


	18. Intuition

**AN: Yeah, I suck. Sorry, guys. I just keep losing interest in this story and then gaining interest in it again. I know it's not really fair. Sorry. DX**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**A New Life**

**Chapter 18 - Intuition**

**Kagome felt the wind being knocked out of her as Inuyasha crushed her against his taught chest. Her other friends were long gone, leaving her alone to deal with this bizarre new love triangle. Or was it a love square? She wasn't exactly sure of her involvement in the whole situation yet.**

**"Wha... Inuyash-mmnnff?!" He pressed her face tighter into his chest, muffling her confused screams almost to the point of suffocation. If not for her desire for air, she might not have minded at all, his hand knotted in her hair, his other pressed into the small of her back, clutching her body to his..**

**"Ha! Are you joking?!" Kikyo scoffed at Inuyasha, raising an eyebrow at the girl nestled uncomfortably in his arms. Twisting so that she could look up at his face, Kagome could tell right away that it was unfortunately all just an act. He wasn't looking down at her, or at Kikyo, but rather off to the side in a futile attempt to hide the faint pink blush creeping onto his face. "Yeah, real step up there, huh, Inuyasha? I mean, really, it's almost an insult, breaking up with me only to go out with-" Kikyo paused to wrinkle her nose in a disgusted expression. "-with THAT thing."**

**_'Excuse me?' _Kagome glared indignantly at Kikyo and glanced back up at Inuyasha, who had released her enough to breath. She wasn't sure exactly what she was looking for as she stared intently into his eyes – anger, indignance, fury, perhaps? Whatever it was, it wasn't there. Just sadness. Remorse. Regret? _'No way.. Could it even be possible? That he regrets… breaking up with Kikyo? But.. why..?'_**

"**Kagome?"**

"**_He still loves her. It's tearing him up and he won't admit it, but he's just been putting on an act this entire time, like he is now. I don't know how, I just know it.."_**

"**Kagome?"**

**Snapping back to reality with a gasp, Kagome realized that the school's courtyard was nearly empty and they were still standing in the same spot as before, her body limp in Inuyasha's arms. **

"**Come on, people are staring. What's the matter with you?" **

**She felt herself being lifted up by her armpits and being placed softly on her feet a couple feet in front of him, embarrassingly aware of the desire she felt to be back in his embrace. _'Jeeze, something _is_ wrong with me.'_ His hands lingered gingerly on her forearms, lest she fail to regain her balance. Blinking rapidly, she realized that something wasn't right – Kikyo and Naraku were gone, and by the looks of it, class had already started. **

"**Heeelllooo? Are you awake?"**

**Inuyasha began snapping his fingers annoyingly in front of her face, reminding her that was was mad at him. Not just mad – pissed. Turning with a huff, she stalked briskly away from him, leaving the bewildered silver-haired boy in her wake.**

"**What the HELL?! What are you mad about?!" he shouted after her, running to catch up.**

"**Don't talk to me right now, Inuyasha!"**

"**Why?! What did I do?!"**

"**You- you- …augh" Kagome struggled to find the right words. All she could remember before she had zoned out was Inuyasha hugging her rather roughly, pretending she was his girlfriend, and then… Kikyo insulting her… and her disappointment when he didn't defend her. All she could recall after that was being absolutely sure he loved Kikyo. She didn't know why, it was a trivial reason to come to that conclusion, but she was sure of it. Intuition, she supposed, would have to be the best explanation for something so illogical.**

"**Do you.. not want to pretend to be my girlfriend?"  
**

**Kagome turned around shocked to find he had slowed his pace down considerably and now had a typical Inuyasha pout plastered all over his face. The urge to reach out and squeeze all the sadness out of the poor boy was intense, but she managed to retain her composure. With a resigned sigh, she extended her arm out in a welcoming gesture, satisfied when he perked up and grabbed her hand, grinning like an idiot. This childish scheme of his to make himself look cool in front of his ex-girlfriend should have made her upset, and she knew it, but she couldn't help but feel slightly ecstatic they walked hand-in-hand onto campus, the school's newest "couple".**

**--**

**AN: Eh… heh. x.x **

**Don't hurt me! DX**

**I can't help my inconsistent writing habits. –pout-**

**Thanks to the following people for reviewing!: _seshomarusgirl, DarkSoulKagome90, iamdevishangel, inu-yusukekaiba102, Sessho's Gal, Alana, Wolf6291, Tenshi mami 246, MoonsDaughterLuv, Silent tears i cry7294, triplefx3christytran, and XxXEdwardObsessedXxX! _**

_**You guys are awesome, thanks for your support! **_

**Don't forget to review if you want another update! x.x**


End file.
